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Changes in health and employment after childbirth: a pilot study.

Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference, Women Working to Make a Difference, June 22-24, 2003, Washington, DC. Washington, DC: Institute for Women's Policy Research, 2003 Jun; :1-10

Link

NIOSHTIC No.

20033166

Abstract

This pilot was designed to identify changes in women's health in association with return to work after childbirth. Sixty women were interviewed several times after childbirth. Women's mental health scores were stable while physical health scores improved significantly with time. Women who returned to work at 6 weeks had the highest physical health and the lowest mental health scores at 6 weeks postpartum. Conversely, women who returned to work at 12 months or later had the highest mental health over time, and the lowest physical health at 6 weeks postpartum. If validated in a larger sample, findings suggest that the more physically hardy women return to work early, and women who return to work at 12 months or later enjoy more favorable mental health.